We don’t do that – it’s not safe any more!

We don’t do that – it’s not safe any more!

An over-cautious approach to health and safety is inhibiting good science teaching.

Abstract

There are many myths about practical activities being banned or discouraged. Too much good science is being lost as a result. Teachers do need to develop an understanding of health and safety principles, and teach their students, for example, that more dilute solutions are less hazardous. In many cases, what is safe depends as much on the nature of the class as on the chemical or procedure being used. Properly funded curriculum development projects can – and do – identify and deal with potential health and safety problems.